Photo of Sarah A. Westby

Sarah is the Chair of Shipman’s Cannabis Industry Team and a Partner in our Employment and Labor Practice Group. She advises clients on formation and management of a cannabis business, interpretation of state and federal cannabis laws and regulations, social equity qualifications and partnerships, business-related disputes, employment matters and contracts. Sarah also counsels clients on a wide variety of employment matters, including discrimination, medical leave, sexual harassment, compensation, termination, severance, and workplace safety.  She has significant experience litigating cases in state and federal court and before administrative agencies.  Sarah also serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Simply Smiles, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that builds villages of foster homes for Native children in the United States and Mexico.

Sarah Westby will be a panelist during the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce webinar, “COVID-19 Information & Protocols.”

A panel of professionals will share the latest information on Connecticut state guidelines, mask policies, vaccine information and mobile access, and other related updates and news to help your business prepare for the coming weeks. For

Effective today, recreational marijuana is legal for personal use in Connecticut. Your employees might think that this means they have free reign to use marijuana in the workplace.  They would be wrong.  In fact, the new law provides employers with significant authority to prohibit marijuana use in the workplace and punish marijuana use outside of

Today the EEOC published updated guidance to address questions it has received from employers about vaccines in the workplace.  The guidance represents the first substantive update to the rules from the EEOC regarding the pandemic since December 2020.

Specifically, the new guidance states that employers may:

  • Require all employees physically entering the workplace to

Effective today, Wednesday, May 19, 2021, Connecticut is lifting its mask mandate for vaccinated individuals per Executive Order No. 12.  During a press conference on May 17th, Governor Lamont announced that Connecticut will follow the CDC’s lead in loosening COVID-19 restrictions based on positive indicators including scientific data showing the effectiveness of vaccines, decreased

Join us as we take our annual public sector seminar virtual! During the month of May, we will host a series of CLE webinars featuring timely topics as well as updates on recent legislation and court decisions affecting public sector employers.

We invite you to register for any of the complimentary webinars listed below:

Brave

On Wednesday, March 31, 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a sweeping cannabis bill legalizing recreational marijuana for those aged twenty-one and over.  New York previously legalized medical marijuana and certain hemp products, but the new law takes the final step towards full legalization.  With the passage of this law, New York becomes the sixteenth state

Within his first few days in office, President Biden issued a wave of executive orders aimed at protecting workers amid the pandemic. According to the White House, the core policy objective underlying each order is implementing evidence-based measures to support the workforce and protect those hit hardest by the pandemic, including communities of color and

On December 27, 2020, after months of negotiations, Congress passed and the President signed The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Applications Act, a 5,593-page appropriations bill which provides several forms of stimulus related to COVID-19. Many employers are wondering what effect the new law has on the paid leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus

On June 1, 2020 Governor Lamont issued Executive Order 7UU, which creates mandatory COVID-19 testing requirements for staff working at nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and modifies the definition of “suitable work” in the State’s unemployment regulations.  Employers should take notice of the potential expansion of the unemployment regulations under this Executive Order.

The